The Jade Shamrock — Norma Newcomb

Problem for the teacher. Ava Dean thought the town of Dorsett behaved very badly when, without warning, if fired its superintendent of school, a man who'd put in may years of dedicated work. She said so in an angry letter to the local paper -- a letter she was sure would bring a request for her resignation. Instead, it brought a call from the new superintendent, young D. Roger McCumber, who was willing to "forgive and forget" ... especially after he met the lovely blonde teacher. But Roger was a late comer in the competition for Ava's heart -- competition that included Ralph Spencer, chairman of the school board, and insurance broker Tom Blakiston. And while Ava thought him attractive, he also made her uneasy -- his habit of "consulting" made a jade shamrock his dead grandmother had given him, for instance: he didn't really believe the thing spoke to him, did he? Or did he? And what would the answer mean to Ava's happiness and her career?

Hero: Tom Blakiston
Heroine: Ava Dean